Sunday

Apr 28, 2013 at 10:28 PM

Caleb Sturgis doesn't rush into things. On the day that could and eventually would change his life, he decided to spend it with the people that have always been there with him.

Sturgis started Saturday golfing with his younger brother, Mark, his kicking coach, Dan Mowrey, and his brother-in-law. Sitting on the couch waiting for a phone call wouldn't make it come any sooner, something many college football players hoping to get drafted have known, and since his family's house sits alongside the 17th green of Royal St. Augustine Golf and Country Club, getting back to the rest of his family with good news wouldn't take too long.

"As soon as we pulled up to the green at the 17th hole, I heard my phone ring," Sturgis said. "When I checked it, I saw what I knew was a South Florida area code, so I just hoped that it would be them."

And it was. The Dolphins selected Sturgis with the 166th pick in the draft, making Sturgis the first player out of St. Augustine High School to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Sturgis' accolades at Florida tell the story of someone destined for the next level. He was named a finalist for the Lou Groza award, given to the country's top college kicker, twice and was selected as a semifinalist another time - it took someone else being perfect to take the award out of his hands last year, placing behind Tulane's Cairo Santos, a St. Joseph product.

He owns the Gators record for most made field goals with 68. He has a state and national championship in his resume. Now he has the chance to add pro kicker to that list.

If he makes the team, he'll join Brandon James and Scott Player as the only Yellow Jacket alumni to play in the NFL.

Not that he expected any of it, certainly not when he still wore a garnet uniform.

"At the time I'm a kid, I'm a dreamer, so absolutely I thought I'd be able to play in the NFL," Sturgis said. "At the same time I'm realistic, so the first thing I think is that I've got to get a high school degree, then get a college degree, and that's what I focused on the most."

His mother, Karen, didn't want to trust what her intuition was telling her about her son.

"I'm not a good judge being his mother, but it seemed like his high school coach (Joey) Wiles knew something," Karen Sturgis said. "He said at his banquet senior year that we would see him on Sundays. I always felt like he had potential, but I didn't want to assume that everything would work out. I'm definitely glad it has, though. I'm still kind of in shock."

Wiles has known what Sturgis was capable of since his sophomore year of high school when the Yellow Jackets won the Class 3A state championship.

As far as making the NFL, no coach would put that amount of pressure on a teenager, let alone one relatively new to the game. But the place kicker with a soccer background showed flashes of brilliance that sustained long enough to catch the eyes of then-Florida coach Urban Meyer, and even if Sturgis didn't want to admit it while still in college, Wiles was never shy about his potential for the next level.

"I talked about it more than him; he's just that way," Wiles said. "When I went to Florida at practice to watch him, I talked to coach (Will) Muschamp to talk defense and he said that Caleb might be the most irreplaceable part of this year's (Florida) team."

Now he has the chance to play home games in the same stadium where he won a high school state championship in 2005 and a national title with the Gators. He'll be joined by two other Florida products drafted by the Dolphins, linebacker Jelani Jenkins and running back Mike Gillislee. Both players sent out congratulatory tweets when his pick was announced, followed by Dolphins center Mike Pouncey - another University of Florida product.

Sturgis was born in Boca Raton and moved to St. Augustine when he was only 18 months old, but still has family in South Florida happy to have the chance to watch him play in his home state.

Sturgis plans on heading down to Dolphins rookie mini camp on Thursday. That's where he'll begin his next task - earning a spot on the team.

Dan Carpenter, a former Pro Bowl kicker, is already signed with Miami. But that's not something that will scare Sturgis. He's used to pressure situation and excelling in those spots, despite whatever team or player stands in his way.

"You learn that nothing's given to you," Sturgis said. "You have to compete with one of the best guys in league, and already it's a very selective amount of guys who get to kick in this league. As soon as I heard where I was going, I was excited for the chance to go in and compete with one of the best guys in the NFL."

Sturgis finished his day not too far from the spot where he learned everything would change for good. His family had planned a celebration for him regardless of whether or not he was selected. Roughly 30 of his closest family and friends gathered to celebrate his accomplishments and whatever the future held.

The news from the 17th hole didn't change anything - it just gave an exclamation point to what has already been an extraordinary career.

None of it, with the exception of the phone call, happened suddenly. His selection was a result of years of work and a good fit, a mosaic of achievement culminating in a gathering of friends and family - his building blocks.

"Everything I do, I take it in steps," Sturgis said. "I was blessed with the ability and I had a lot of great people around me to help me reach my goals. I'm excited to be with them to enjoy today."

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